Overedge sewing machine



y 1955 A. M. SCHWEDA ETAL OVEREDGE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1952 N AN BEA 0 M WE NHD ECE w m T Rm EE i AR ATTORNEY.

y 12, 1955 A. M. SCHWEDA ETAL 2,712,803

OVEREDGE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 20, 1952 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

IN VEN T 0R5 ALBERT M SCHWEDA ROBERT A. WIEDEMANN ATTORNEY.

y 2, 1955 A. M. SCHWEDA ETAL 2,712,803

OVEREDGE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 20, 1952 INVENTORS ALBERT M. SCHWEDA ROBERT A. WIEDEMANN ATTORNEY.

July 12, 1955 A. M. SCHWEDA ETAL OVEREDGE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 20, 1952 IN VEN TORS ALBERT M. SCHWEDA BY ROBERT A. WIEDEMANN ATTORNEY.

y 2, 1955 A. M. SCHWEDA ETAL 2,712,803

OVEREDGE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 20, 1952 I ln an I 1 M w lfm a L in FIGS FIG.

INVENTORS ALBERT M. SCHWEDA RCBERT A.W|EDEMANN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 2,712,803 OVEREDGE SEWhlG MACIENE 11 Claims. (Cl. 112-235) The present invention relates to presser devices for sewing machines, and more particularly to presser devices for use in industrial type sewing machines adapted to provide a line of overedge stitching of either the twothread or three-thread type.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide for a rapid and easy disengagement and removal of the presser foot from its operating position to facilitate access to underlying machine parts for the making of necessary adjustments, and particularly for the threading of the needle and loopers.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of an illustrative form of the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in left side elevation of an overedge machine illustrating particularly the presser foot mechanism which forms the subject matter of the invention, the parts being shown with the presser foot in its operating position;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the left hand portion of the machine, showing substantially the parts shown in Fig. l and with the presser foot in its operating position;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in longitudinal vertical section through the presser foot engaging unit which servesto apply the desired spring pressure to the presser foot;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, in left side elevation, ofthe presser foot engaging unit removed from its support;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of substantially the parts shown in Fig. 2, serving to illustrate portions of the presser foot supporting and tensioning mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a latching device for the presser foot throw-out mechanism as viewed from the right in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l of the machine in left side elevation, but with the presser foot shifted from its operating position;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with the presser foot supporting means shifted toward the left and elevated as in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view of the treadleactuated presser foot lifting lever and lever'rock'shaft; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but with the addition of the presser bar collar cooperating with the lifting lever to raise the presser foot. 1

Referring to the drawings, the invention is disclosed in an overedge sewing machine which comprises an enclosed housing 29 (Figs. 1, 2, and 8) and a work supporting member or cloth plate 22 on and within which are supported the several operating mechanisms of the machine. The stitch forming instrumentalities of the machine include a curved needle 30, (Fig. 8) supported from an arm 28 secured to a rock shaft 33, an overedge looper 32 supported on a shaft 34, and an under-looper 36. The work feeding mechanism of the machine consists of a pair of four-motion feed dogs 38 and 38a. The machine further includes a presser device which comprises a horizontally disposed pivotally mounted presser bar 40 carrying at its forward end a presser foot 42 which normally overlies the feed dogs and cooperates therewith in the feeding of the work. For a more complete description of an overedge sewing machine of the general type described above, reference may be had to the copending applications of Peterson, Wallenberg, and Smith, Serial No. 122,204, filed in the United States Patent Office on October 19, 1949, for Overedge Sewing Machine, now Patent No. 2,636,462, granted April 28, 1953 and Wallenberg, Attwood, and Schoij, Serial No. 196,104, filed on November 17, 1950, for Overedge Sewing Machine.

in accordance with the present invention a novel presser throw-out mechanism is provided whereby there is imparted to the presser bar 40 a lateral movement away from the line of stitching and in combination therewith an upward swinging movement about its pivot so that the presser foot is displaced laterally from the overlying and underlying machine parts, including the needle and loopers, and also is moved upwardly away from the cloth plate 22. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the presser bar is supported at its rear end in a groove 46 (Fig. 1) formed in a collar 48 secured to a horizontally disposed rock shaft 50 (Figs. 5 and 9) rotatably and axially movable in a hushed bearing 52 provided on a rearwardly extending portion of the machine housing 20. A screw 56a having threaded engagement with the outer end of shaft 59 serves to secure the bar 40 thereto. The rock shaft 5a) is bushed bearing projecting rearwardly from the housing 29 and spaced from the bearing 52. The presser foot throw-out mechanism comprises a collar 58, secured by a set screw 68 (Fig. 6) to the rock shaft 59, and a compression spring 62 coiled about the rock shaft 50 between the collar 58 and hushed bearing 56. The arrangement of these parts is such that the spring 62 urges the rock shaft 56 and presser bar 40 to the left from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the laterally displaced position shown in Fig. 9 in which the collar 58 is engaged against the end of bearing 52. During the latter part of the lateral movement of the presser bar 4% and rock shaft 50, the rock shaft and presser bar are rocked about the axis of rock shaft 553 to raise the presser foot 42 by means of a yieldably acting connection between the machine frame and the collar 58. This comprises a plunger 64 slida'oly the collar 58 above the rock shaft 50 (Fig. 6) and arranged for engagement against a mitted through the spring 71 against the set screw 72 will tend to rock the collar 58 and hence the shaft 50 about the axis of the latter. In order to adjustably control the extent'of the upward swinging movement of the presser bar 40 and presser foot 42, the supporting collar 58 has secured thereto a downwardly extending plate or arm 73 which carries an adjustable stop screw 74 arranged for as the shaft 50 and connected to the relatively displaced position shown in V wardly and then to push rear wall of the housing 20, parts are rocked clockwise engagement also against the (Fig. 6).

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the rock shaft 50 is normally maintained in its axially retracted position against the action of spring 62, as shown irrFigs. and7, by means of a latch arm 76 which is supported to turn on a pivot pin '78 carried by the machine housing and engages in an annular locking groove 80 in the rocltshaft 50. The bushing of bearing 55 is suitably slotted to receive the arm 76. A spring 82 engaging an upward manually operable extension of the. latch arm 76, and having its opposite end engaged in the frame, tends to hold the latch in its operative position. This latch means may, if desired, be omitted but its employment is considered desirable.

The operation of the throw-out mechanism so far described is as follows: When the rock shaft is released, as for example by the tripping of the latch to, or the release of the presser bar scribed, or both, the rock are moved to the left from shaft 50 and presser bar ll! the position shown in Fig. 5 Fig. 9, while at the same time the plunger 64, engaging against the cammed surface 70, acts to rock the shaft 50 and presser bar 40 upwardly against a resistance provided by the weight of these parts. With this construction and arrangement of the presser foot throw-out actuating mechanism, it will be readily appreciated that the. operator, in order to put the mechanism back in operation, does not have to follow in reverse the sequence of events employed in the throw-out operation but is permitted by the yielding spring connection between the plunger 64 and rock shaft 60 to first move the presser foot downthe presser foot laterally into its operating position in the machine.

In connection with Figs. 5 and 9-11, inclusive, it will be noted that a treadle operated mechanism is provided for raising the presser foot, which comprises a rearwardly extending treadle lever 84 loosely supported to turn on the rock shaft 50 and preferably further held, in any suitable way, against axial movement therewith on the machine frame. ,At its outer end the treadle lever 84 is connected by means of a chain 86 with a treadle control which may be of conventional form and is not here shown. A wire spring 88, secured at one end to the machine housing and at its other end hooked under the treadle lever 84, tends normally to maintain the treadle lever in a relatively raised inoperative position. On the hub portion of the treadle lever 84 there is provided a laterally extending contact finger 00 which is arranged for engagement with an adjustable contact screw 92. on the collar 48 so that a downward movement of the treadle lever will cause the finger 90 to engage the screw 92 to rock the collar 48 counterclockwise (Fig. l1) and lift the presser bar 40 and associated presser foot 42.

Further in accordance with the invention a spring.

pressed presser bar engagingplunger assembly of novel construction and mode of operation is provided which acts, when the presser foot is in an operative position, to urge the presser foot yieldably against the work.

The plunger assembly, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises a spring pressed rod or plunger 96 provided at its lower end with a yoke 98 which straddles the presser bar 40 at an intermediate point. The plunger 96' is slidably supported within a sleeve member 100 which is in turn screw-threaded for adjustment into a sleeve 102 slidably mounted in a lug 104 extending outwardly from the housing 20. A compression spring 106 coiled about the plunger 96 in a chambered portion of the sleeve member 100 tends to maintain the plunger in a position in which its forked end 98 engages with the presser. bar 40 and urges the presser foot against the work. Downward movement of the plunger is limited by an enlarged head. portion thereof which engages tensioning means to be de- '1 against the adjacent end of the sleeve member 100. The presser foot spring plunger assembly, comprising the sleeve 102 and the spring pressed plunger 96 adjustably supported therein, is normally held in operating position within the lug 104 by means of a form of bayonet look comprising a pin 108 which extends inwardly from lug 104 into the path of the sleeve 102;, and cooperates with a T-slot 110 in said sleeve. When the pin is aligned with the vertical portion of the T-slot, the sleeve is free to be shifted axially within the lug. However, if the sleeve is rotated slightly in either direction to place the in 1% in one of the cooperating arms formed by the top portion of the T-slot 119, the sleeve will be locked against axial movement in the lug.

in accordance with the invention, the presser foot spring plunger assembly is constructed and arranged to provide for a quick and certain release of the forked end 98 of the plunger from the presser bar when it is desired by the operator to move the presser bar from its operathxe position in the machine. To this end a coiled compression release spring 112 (Figs. 1, 3 and 8) is provided around the sleeve 102 between an adjacent portion of the lug 104 and enlarged knurled upper end of the sleeve 102 so that'when the sleeve 102 is turned to align the pin 1% with the vertical portion of the T-slot 110, the release spring 112 causes the sleeve 102 to be moved upwardly, the extent of this upward movement being limited when the yoke 98 has become disengaged from the presser bar 40 by the engagement of a laterally extending pin 114 on the yoke with an adjacent portion of the lug 104. When the complete construction described is employed, the yoke 98 will first be disengaged from the presser bar by turning of the sleeve 102 in the manner explained and the latch arm 76 will then be released by manual movement-of the upstanding arm thereof in the manner explained.

It will be understood that certain modifications in the construction. and mode of operation of the presser foot throw-out mechanism above described may be readily made within the scope of the invention. For. example, while in the preferred form of the invention illustrated, a throw-out mechanismis provided which acts automatically, when. released for operation, to move the presser bar laterally and then upwardly to the desired inoperative position, it is contemplated that one or more of these operations may be performed manually or by manually operated means, and the presser bar may be moved manually along the entire extent of its prescribed path from the operative position of Fig. 5 to the laterally displaced raised inoperative position of Fig. 9. In this event the spring 62 and the devices shown in Fig. 6 maybe omitted. Moreover, the spring 112 may be omitted and the sleeve 102 may be lifted manually after it. is turned to align the vertical portion of the slot 110 with the pin 108.

Further, in accordance with the invention, it is contemplated that the latch arm 7 6 which serves to latch the presser bar in its operating position, and thusfacilitates the connectionv and disconnection of the presser foot spring plunger assembly ing the friction between these parts, may be omitted, the yoke 98 of the presser foot spring plunger assembly being then relied upon to retainthe-presser bar in its operative position against the pressure of spring 62. The disconnection, as above described, of the presser foot spring plunger assembly, including the yoke 98, fromthe presser bar is in this case immediately effective to cause the presser bar to move to its laterally displaced and raised inoperative position.

While an illustrative form of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various. parts without departing from the general principles and scope of theinventionfrom the presser bar, by eliminat What we claim is:

l. in a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of said presser bar, and a spring operated device overlying the presser bar operative to engage and depress the presser bar and presser foot carried thereby, a presser throw-out device comprising a yieldably acting means supported from the mach ne frame urging said presser bar wardly from the machine frame when out of operative engagement with said spring-operated device, and means responsive to said axial movement for automatically swinging said presser bar upwardly on its pivot.

2. in a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of said presser bar, and spring actuated means overlying the presser bar operative to engage and depress the presser bar and foot associated therewith, supporting means on said frame by which the presser bar is pivotally mounted thereon and movable axially of the pivot outwardly from the machine frame and out of operative relation to said spring-actuated means, and a cam and follower connection between the machine frame and presser bar responsive to said axial movement of the presser bar to swing the presser bar and presser foot upwardly about the axis of said pivot.

3. in a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of said presser bar, a support on said frame by which the presser bar is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and for substantial bodily movement along said axis, spring means connected between the machine frame and the presser bar urging the presser bar bodily outward from the machine frame, means responsive to the bodily movement of the presser bar for automatically swinging the presser bar upwardly about its axis after a predetermined extent of such bodily movement, and releasable means retaining said presser bar in operative position against the action of said spring means.

4. in a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of said presser bar, and a spring actuated presser foot plunger assembly on the machine comprising a spring pressed plunger arranged for engagement with the presser bar to depress the bar and presser foot, a pivot element on which the presser bar is secured supported on the machine frame for rotational and axial movement, spring means acting on said pivot element urging said element and presser bar axially of the element outwardly from the machine frame, a manually releasable latch on the machine frame serving to retain said pivot element and presser bar in operative position against the action of said spring means, and a cam and follower connection between the machine frame and said pivot element rendered operative by the axial movement of said element to move the presser foot and presser bar to a raised inoperative position.

5. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of said presser bar, and a spring actuated presser foot plunger assembly comprising a sleeve releasably supported on the machine frame and a spring pressed plunger supported within the sleeve having a yoke arranged to engage and depress the bar and presser foot and to retain said presser bar against lateral displacement, asupport on the machine frame by which the presser bar is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and bodily movement along said axis, means acting yieldably between the machine frame and the presser bar to move axially of said pivot bodily outthe presser bar along said axis outward from the frame and a camand follower connection between the frame and presser bar rendered operative by said movement of the bar away from the frame to rotate the presser bar and presser foot thereon to a raised inoperative position.

6. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, a pivotal support for said presser bar on said frame by which the presser bar is mounted for movement bodily and rotatably into and out of operative position, a spring actuated device on the machine overlying the presser bar in the operative position thereof to engage and depress the presser bar and foot associated therewith, means urging the presser bar bodily away from the machine frame and frombeneath said spring actuated device, and means responsive to said bodily movement of the presser bar for rotating the bar about its axis upwardly comprising cooperating cam and yieldably supported follower elements interposed between the machine frame and said presser bar.

in a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, a rock shaft on which the presser bar is secured supported for rotational and axial movement on the machine frame, a spring actuated device on said frame overlying the presser bar operative to depress the presser bar and foot associated therewith, a spring means acting between the bar and the machine frame to urge the pivot shaft axially of the frame to carry said presser bar from beneath said spring actuated device, a cam on the machine frame and a yieldably supported plunger on the rock shaft rendered operative by the axial movement of the rock shaft for imparting rotational movement thereto, and a stop device acting between the rock shaft and machine frame to limit the extent of said rotational movement.

8. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, a pivotal support for said presser bar on said frame by which the presser bar is bodily and rotatably movable relative to the frame, and means acting automatically when rendered operative to move the presser bar bodily a substantial distance along the axis of said pivotal support away from the machine frame and then upwardly about the axis of said support, said means including an operative connection between the machine frame and the presser bar responsive to said bodily movement of the presser bar after a predetermined extent of such movement to rotate the bar upwardly about the axis of said pivotal support.

9. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and mounted for movement along said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, a pivotal support for said presser bar on said frame by which the presser bar is bodily and rotatably movable relative to the frame, and means acting automatically when rendered operative to move the presser bar bodily along the axis of said pivotal support away from the machine frame and then upwardly about the axis of said support from said horizontal position, said means including spring means urging said presser bar bodily away from the machine frame, and an operative connection between the machine frame and the presser bar responsive to bodily movement of the presser bar to rotate said bar about the axis of said support.

10. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis and arranged for bodily movement in the direction of said axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, and a spring actuated presser foot plunger assembly mounted on the machine frame to engage with and press the presser bar and presser foot downwardly and arranged to be manually disconnected from the presser bar, said assembly comprising a spring actuated plunger having a presser bar engaging yoke, a sleeve slidably mounted on the machine within which the plunger is slidably supported for limited movement, a spring connected between the sleeve and the machine frame urging the sleeve and plunger therewith away from the presser bar, and releasable means locking the sleeve on the machine frame against the pressure of said spring.

11. In a sewing machine having a frame, a horizontally disposed presser bar pivoted on a horizontal axis, a presser foot carried by one end of the presser bar, a support on the machine on which the presser bar is mounted for bodily movement transversely away from the machine frame, and a spring actuated presser foot plunger assembly on said frame arranged to engage with and press the presser bar and presser foot downwardly and arranged to be manually disconnected from the presser bar, said assembly comprising a plunger having a presser bar engaging yoke, a sleeve member within which the plunger is slidably supported for a limited axial movement, spring means acting between the plunger and sleeve member to extend the plunger and urge the yoke into engagement with the presser bar, a sleeve having an internal threaded engagement with the sleeve member, a spring connected between said sleeve and the machine frame urging said sleeve and associated plunger away from the presser bar, and a releasable bayonet locking device between the sleeve and machine frame locking said spring actuated presser foot assembly on the machine frame against the pressure of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,008 Stedman Aug. 29, 1911 1,602,140 Avis Oct. 5, 1926 2,419,494 Knaus Apr. 22, 1947 2,549,269 Washburn Apr. 17, 1951 

